Fake cigarette caused M6 alert

FALSE alarm: British police say reports of suspicious activity on a bus, which set off a massive emergency response and forced the closure of a section of a major highway in central England, were unfounded.

The culprit? An electronic cigarette.

Armed police evacuated passengers from the bus and bomb disposal units, ambulances and fire engines descended on the Weeford toll plaza of the M6 highway in the West Midlands, 187km north of London, after the initial reports on Thursday.

The sweeping emergency response came just weeks before the Olympic Games are due to be held in the British capital.

Aerial footage showed what appeared to be passengers sitting on the ground in a marked-off square, spaced apart from each other.

Dog handlers roamed about, and someone in a hazardous materials suit was seen entering the bus and searching around the seats with a flashlight.

But several hours later, Staffordshire police said the scene was safe and no suspects were in custody.

The force said it had received a "genuine report" from a member of the public about vapour escaping from a bag on the bus, which upon investigation turned out to be an electronic cigarette - a device that aims to help smokers quit.

It apologised for any inconvenience caused by the security response, saying it hopes people understand its duty to ensure public safety.


Megabus, the company that operates the bus, confirmed it was helping police with regard to "an allegation made against a passenger " on one of its buses en route from Preston to London. It said the bus had 48 passengers booked for travel and was headed to London's Victoria Station.

The BBC, citing unidentified sources, had reported that the incident involved a passenger who poured a substance into a box, causing fumes.